Martin O’Neill, the Aston Villa manager, has given the strongest indication yet that he will move for Emile Heskey next month after Dave Whelan’s comments that Wigan Athletic may look to cash in on their England striker before his contract expires.

The Wigan chairman appears to have accepted that Heskey, who has six months remaining on his deal, will leave the JJB Stadium by next summer. O’Neill’s lack of attacking options is apparent as he prepares to ask Marlon Harewood to share this evening’s duties with Nathan Delfouneso, a 17-year-old with no Barclays Premier League experience, for the Uefa Cup tie at home to MSK Zilina, with Gabriel Agbonlahor rested and John Carew injured.

O’Neill nurtured Heskey during their time together at Leicester City before selling him to Liverpool for £11 million in 2000. As he praised the potential of Delfouneso, likening him to the younger Agbonlahor, and admitted that Carew’s back problems may not be resolved without surgery, O’Neill would not deny an interest in signing Heskey should Wigan look to take their last opportunity of gleaning a fee for the striker, likely to be about £3 million, in the approaching transfer window.

“Generally, the player who has six months left on his contract is in the driving seat,” O’Neill said. “It wouldn’t matter what the club says. You can’t force anything but I understand what Dave Whelan is saying: no one wants a quality player to run his course if you can avoid it.

“Are we looking to see if we can strengthen our side? Absolutely, that’s what we’ll try and do. Did several clubs take notice of what Wigan said at the weekend? What do you think?”

Everton, West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool are among the other clubs who could offer Heskey, 31 next month, one final lucrative contract. His hard-working, unselfish style, and ability to play with his back to goal and to run the channels, would suit Villa’s game plan down to the ground.

In the meantime, as Villa look to book their place in the last 32 of the Uefa Cup a game early by avoiding defeat this evening, O’Neill is relishing giving Delfouneso a run-out. “It will be exciting for us to see Nathan in action,” the manager said. “I want to see what he is capable of doing. For me, there’s the same talk about him as there was about Gabby Agbonlahor at the same age.

“I’ve seen this boy develop. There is an awful lot of natural ability there. He can go past players and he’s getting stronger; I’ve seen a big difference in the last year.

“He’s been training with the first team 85 per cent of the time so he’s used to it. I don’t think he’ll be overawed.”

Aston Villa (possible; 4-4-2): B Guzan — L Young, C Cuéllar, Z Knight, G Barry — C Gardner, S Sidwell, M Salifou, J Milner — M Harewood, A Young.

MSK Zilina (possible; 4-4-2): D Pernis — P Pekarik, B Vomacka, V Leitner, M Pecalka — Z Strba, O Sourek, A Vladavic, A Da Silva — R Jez, E Rilke.

Referee: E Berntsen (Norway).

Television: Live on Five from 7.30pm (kick-off 7.45pm).